Hanoians clean up trash left behind by prolonged flooding

Residents of Chuong My District are working hard to return to normal life after living in floodwaters for half a month.

On Wednesday, when floodwaters have almost completely receded, residents of Nam Phuong Tien Commune in Chuong My District rushed to the streets to clean up trash left behind. The area had been submerged under 1.5 meters of waters after heavy downpours triggered severe flooding in many parts of the capital city since mid-July. 830 households were isolated while 647 homes were submerged. The lives of more than 3,000 people were badly disrupted.

Hundreds of young army recruits were mobilized to the flood-hit area, which is more than one hour southwest of Hanoi's center, to help local residents move their belongings back to their homes.

In some hamlets, people got up early in the morning, cleaning up as the waters began to recede rapidly.

Some residents said they will focus on cleaning up their houses and wait until the flood waters recede completely before moving their belongings back.

People pile up trash that had entered their homes for sanitation workers to collect. The floodwaters brought garbage from landfills into the district.

On Wednesday morning, locals and trash collectors joined hands to clear mud and trash from main roads leading to Nam Phuong Tien Commune.

A local medical center has been providing free health checks, treatment and medicines for residents suffering from skin diseases. As the waters recede, the health department is also having disinfectants sprayed on roads to prevent disease outbreaks.